The Monster Mash
by DD Agent
Summary: The night of Will and Sharon's dinner party, but diaster strikes at the last moment. Sequel to Pumpkin and Needle and Thread. W/S and A/B


**The Monster Mash by DD Agent**

_I do not own The Closer or any of its characters, or its settings. The FID team is of my creation, as is Captain Raydor's backstory, but the rest belongs to the lovely folks at TNT  
_

Will waited in Brenda's office, pacing the carpet. His hands kept balling into fists and then opening again, the half moon shapes embedded into his palm stinging. He was there to tell Brenda that she was invited to a dinner party they were throwing on Sunday evening, fancy dress of course, the date being Halloween. However, what he also had to tell Brenda was that the dinner party was on behalf of him and his live in girlfriend Sharon Raydor. He also had to tell her that they had been dating for a year come Christmas.

"Hey, Flynn said you wanted to see me?" Brenda asked, coming into her office and sitting behind her desk. The pumpkin that Flynn had carved for her sat proudly on it, and she smiled when she saw it, remembering the fun she had had with him that day.

He decided to sit down, fearing his legs would give out if he stood up to give Brenda the news. How would she take it, he wondered? Probably a lot of yelling, she always seemed to yell at him of late. Granted he had deserved most of it, but it still was disconcerting having a woman yell at you.

Will coughed and smiled at her, deciding to just spit it out. "Brenda, I am having a dinner party on Sunday evening, and I would like you and Fritz to come."

Brenda didn't know what to say. She had her usual Halloween plans, and they were showing some really good movies on the television…she didn't like the idea of sitting at a stuffy dinner and having to surround herself with the people that Will was friends with. She much preferred the idea of eating candy and hiding behind her pillow.

"Will…"

"Please, Brenda, I want you there. Its fancy dress, so make sure you and Fritz are in costume."

She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Will, I just don't think it would be a good idea. We've been so antagonistic these past few months."

"And I thought we had put all that behind us." He wanted her there. She was the closest thing he had to a best friend; everyone else had slowly begun to leave him since his divorce from Estelle and the agony that was his short-lived race for Chief. "I want you there, Brenda. _We _want you there."

"Who is 'we'?"

Deep breath, big smile. It was time to tell her, he should have told her months ago but he hadn't summoned up the guts to do it. But it was time, and he had to act like a man and just get it over with. "'We' as in me and my girlfriend, who is moving in with me this Saturday."

"You're seeing someone?" That would make dinner less awkward. If there was one positive thing that had come out of the race for Chief, it was that Will's feelings for her seemed to have dissipated. And now he was seeing someone, living with that someone, their relationship could be somewhat sensible instead of awkward. It would have to be someone special - Will liked to date and he liked women, but he was a great father and only got serious with people who were made of something special. "Do I know her?"

"Yes, you do." Her initial thought was that it may be Deputy DA Hobbs; he seemed to be friendly with her, and she was definitely his type. But there was something in her gut that made her think otherwise. Little smiles, their personal shouting match at each other, their closeness. "It's Captain Raydor."

"WHAT?"

Outside, all the detectives in Major Crimes fled to her office door, trying to hear what was going on. Andy tipped his glass of water into Provenza's paper basket and pressed it against the glass wall, desperate to hear what the Chief was screeching about. Inside, Brenda was standing up affronted and Will was trying to calm her down.

"How long have you been seeing each other?"

"Since Christmas."

"CHRISTMAS!"

Will winced and made calming motions with his hands. "I love her, I do. Now what I really would like is for you to be happy and come to this thing. I came to your wedding, as much as at the time I didn't really want to. But I wanted to see you happy; can you please extend me the same courtesy? You don't have to like her; you don't even have to talk to Sharon. Just please come. In fancy dress."

His eyes pleaded with her, and she nodded her head. She would go, and she would take Fritz. And be in fancy dress, much to her distaste. As Pope left her office, notably less weighted, he noticed the group of detectives standing inconspicuously around her office. As he walked off he could hear them talking.

"Pope and Raydor? When the hell did that happen?"

"Christmas apparently. Maybe you should get your hearing checked Provenza."

Will smiled as he went down the corridor. Some things never changed.

X

"So he's not only dating Captain _Raydor, _but he's been dating her for like ten months and he didn't even tell me. I told him that we were dating at least two months in! What are you doing honey?"

Fritz looked from the wardrobe to his wife, who was balancing a stack of Halloween Oreo's on her stomach and complaining about her day. He was trying to pack a suitcase, ready to be picked up when he got home from work tomorrow. He was only half listening to her, she didn't really expect him to anyway - she talked to herself when he wasn't in the room and rarely expected an answer when he did listen.

"I've got to go to Virginia for a week - training course? I told you this."

"When did you tell me?" Brenda shifted on the bed so the Oreo's tipped onto the covers. Fritz groaned and put her biscuits onto the bedside table, frowning at the crumbs between the sheets. She felt like a naughty child, the way he was acting towards her. She would have remembered him telling her that, she was sure. "You were only in DC last week for five days!"

Fritz sighed and put a couple more shirts into his suitcase. "They're giving me training for my new job, and that has to be done back East. I told you this, I wrote it on the damn refrigerator."

"When? Because I don't remember that."

"When that guy was carving up prostitutes into jack o lantern's up in the hills."

Brenda remembered the case, but did not remember her husband telling her something special about his travel plans. In fact, the only thing she remembered from the last two weeks was making pumpkins with Flynn, Jack O Lantern man, and getting a box of trick or treat candy left on her desk. And, oh, the horrible news that Will was with Raydor. "I don't remember that. You shouldn't tell me those things when I'm wrapped up in my case, Fritzi!"

"Clearly."

He shut his suitcase and turned to his wife, who was pouting. He couldn't deal with it anymore; ever since they had been working together things had become strained. Her not getting the Chief role and he still working as FBI liaison had put a lot of pressure on them. Fritz enjoyed the breaks he had been getting, going back East where he was respected, where people liked spending time with him. He loved Brenda, but he was enjoying the break from her.

"I'll be back Monday morning."

"So you won't be there for Will's dumb party?"

Fritz shook his head, turning away from his wife. "No, I won't be there at the party. I'm sure you'll manage without me Brenda, you usually do." He sighed, kissing the top of her head. "This will be the last trip for a while, and then we can spend some time you and me. Now what to do you want to eat? I'm thinking Chinese."

He went into the kitchen, looking for menus while Brenda just sat on the bed, munching on her biscuits sadly.

X

It was officially moving day, and Sharon was joining their family permanently. There was a moving van outside his house, and the kids were excited to see what Sharon was bringing into their home. There wasn't a lot - her realtor friend was dealing with the sale of a lot of her furniture that she didn't want to keep. Some had gone into storage, but a lot of things had been temporary furniture so she would have something to sit on, eat at. She was glad to see it go.

"You know what I love about you?" Will asked, pulling Sharon's last box of things off of the van. "You have as many boxes for clothes as you do for books."

Once everything was inside, the kids asked her to come out into the garden to play ball, and Sharon decided they all needed a break. Girls versus boys - but Sharon was a good ball player and managed to score several times, much to Will's annoyance and amusement. They kissed on the grass, their first kiss as a cohabitating couple. The kids frowned and made icky noises, and the adults laughed.

Everything was set for tomorrow - All Hallows Eve. They would all spend the day getting their costumes sorted and their makeup done before going out and trick or treating at five. They would be back by seven, where they would get ready and the children would have their own private Halloween party in the den with some spooky children's movies. Eight o'clock was when the dinner party was due to start, and they had caterers for the event so they could spend the day with the children. Sharon just couldn't wait for it all to be over so she could concentrate on her life with the kids and with Will.

After dinner was cleared away, Will joined Sharon up in their bedroom as she put her things away in their wardrobe, their chest of drawers. It was an odd feeling, to know that they shared everything. He put his arms around Sharon and kissed her gently, taking his time to kiss her.

"I love you."

"Love you too," Sharon held his chin as she kissed him back, enjoying the tang of wine on his tongue from dinner.

They held each other as they looked around the room. The sheets were hers, the lamps were his. This place had become theirs, they were finally together. Will kissed Sharon's head as she wondered what would become of them, whether they would last. She hoped they would, but she didn't know for sure. The future was uncertain, as it always was when you were a police officer.

"I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. It seems impossible to me how much I can care for you."

They kissed again, enjoying how calm they felt. Then Sharon remembered she would have to entertain Brenda Leigh Johnson at dinner on Halloween and wished for a year ago where she would have gone to the Chief's party. However, she would give up all her memories of those parties just to be with Will.

X

It wasn't something he would ever admit to. It wasn't something he would tell Provenza, or the Chief or indeed Raydor. It was his deepest, darkest secret now that his drinking was under control. He liked the boys of Internal Affairs. Captain Michael James was a bit of a geek, and he was the one they put into the cupboard every Halloween. Eddie Pinker was a rough and ready sort of guy, who liked his baseball like Flynn. Ian Baker was the mediator between the men, and he was a nice guy if you ever had a problem. They were good men to be friends with, and there was never a dull moment.

There was a friendly baseball match on at Dodgers stadium, and Provenza had a new lady love he wanted to impress so hadn't joined him. So instead he had gone with the boys, and had joined in hollering and cheering and enjoying himself.

"So, Flynn, how are things in Major Crimes?" Michael asked, stealing one of Eddie's nachos without him knowing. That was another thing he liked about the boys - although the rest of the LAPD weren't impressed with them, they had no problems with everyone else. They were fairly let live sort of people, until someone threatened their own, of course.

"Yeah it's going okay. We had that Jack O Lantern guy last week, which was a mess. I'm hoping it'll be a quiet Halloween. It sucks that the Chief isn't having a party this year."

Eddie batted Michael's hand away and turned to the Lieutenant. "Yeah, it sucks. And I had my costume planned out for this year as well!"

"So did I, I was going to go as _Kick Ass_."

The group looked at Michael for a moment before they resumed their previous conversation. "We should do something, maybe. I know you don't drink, Flynn, but I'm sure we could find something else that would be good fun."

"Strip club," Ian mentioned, waving his giant foam finger in his hand. "I know a place that is decorating for Halloween. What do you think? There's a girl from the South there for our Flynn."

"Now why would you automatically think of me? Jeez, I don't like the Chief that way, why does everyone think I do?" Flynn muttered defensively, taking a swig of his coke.

However, looking at the boys who suddenly smelled blood in the water, he realised he had jumped too quickly to his own defence. Ian looked at Eddie before turning to their friend. "I was talking about that Texas Flight Attendant. But let's talk about the fact that people think you want Scarlett O'Hara."

Suddenly the game turned into less fun for Flynn.

X

It was the day of the party, and Will was in his study, working on the last of his paperwork. The kids were next door at a mini Halloween celebration, already dressed up and ready to go. His costume was hanging over the back of the door, and as soon as he dotted the last 'i' and crossed the last 't' he would be ready to go and start what would no doubt be an interesting evening.

"So how many people have we got going now to our little shindig?" Sharon asked from behind him.

Will looked over his work, calculating how much he had left to do. "Err a few. Brenda's coming, without Fritz apparently, she texted me this morning. Obviously the Chief and his wife. Stephen and his wife. Taylor's coming too, as is the head of Narcotics. A calm, normal dinner party. Nothing too fancy. Apart from the fancy dress."

He heard Sharon chuckle from behind him. "Exactly, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm definitely going as the Wicked Witch of the West; I thought it would be appropriate."

He laughed; he had seen Sharon's costume. A long black dress with sleeves, a witch's hat and tons of green make up. "Not exactly sexy," he teased, knowing she didn't care.

"Oh, I don't know."

Will looked around at her tone and his mouth immediately fell open. Standing in his office doorway was Sharon Raydor wearing a set of black cream underwear, highlighting her slight form. His trousers grew tight at the sight of Sharon looking so wanton and ready to be taken. She held up a pot.

"I need help with the green make up."

"Surely you just…need it on your face…arms," Will gulped, looking at his long legged beauty. She was stunning, perfection. And he was the luckiest man in the world.

Sharon walked over, handing him the pot of green make up. "All over, please, Chief."

He gazed at her, his eyes roaming over her form. "Come here then, I want to get a better look." Paperwork could wait a few hours, could wait until the sun exploded for all he cared. Sharon moved to sit on his lap, straddling his crotch. He groaned involuntarily and she grinned at him. Moving her legs closer to him, he took the pad in hand and started on her stomach, moving in slow circles. She gasped as the pad moved down under the rim of her underwear, just inside the lace.

"Thank god the kids are out, huh?" Will whispered, turning his attention to her inner thighs. Sharon moaned in response.

Later on, when they had both recovered and Sharon was putting the last touches of lip liner to her outfit, the phone rang. Will went to get it, and she fiddled with the position of her hat on her head. As the call ended and Sharon heard feet on the stairs, she turned around to see her lover not looking very happy.

"Everything okay babe?"

He shook his head. "No, we have no catering for the damn party. And we have guests arriving pretty soon and two kids to take trick or treating."

Disaster. Sharon moved over to hug Will. "We could always cancel. Say family emergency?"

"We can't cancel. It's like what we said to Brenda, the Chief expects us to be professional, to honour commitments."

She rested her head against Will, stroking his cheek. "It'll be okay, it'll all work out. Go find someone who can take the kids trick or treating for half an hour, buy me time to come up with a back up plan. It'll be okay, we'll be with the kids and I'll come up with some genius idea. Trust me."

"I do." He kissed her on the cheek and went to go get the kids.

X

Brenda was pulling at her costume, trying to figure out what to do with it. She had decided, on a suggestion from Tao, to go as the Good Witch of the North for the party. That meant a sparkly wand, a big meringue of a dress and glitter in her hair. It was a pity that Fritz wasn't there to see her in her dress; she thought she looked very pretty.

There was a knock on her door, and Brenda giggled. Trick or treaters! It was then that she came to the decision that she was turning into her mother at least ten years ahead of schedule. She got the bowl that Fritz had organised to give the kids in the area, and although it was half empty there was still some candy left inside. She had got peckish while trying on her costume.

Applying the last touch of lipstick, she opened the door to see Will in a suit, and two children dressed as a witch and as Frankenstein. She must be becoming like her mother, she also had a tendency to have unwanted people turn up at her doorstep. The two kids waved at her.

"Hey Brenda, need a favour."

"What?"

The kids rattled their bags, and Will's smile increased. "The caterers for the party have screwed up, and me and Sharon need to sort something out quickly before everyone comes over. So I was hoping you could take Brendan and Caitlin around the neighbourhood for a little bit, we'll meet you in half an hour or so to take them around some more."

Brenda didn't know what to say. The children were looking at her sadly; they had obviously been hoping to go with Will and Sharon. "It's just me, here, Will. And I'm not that good with kids."

The two children exchanged wide eyed looks, and Will sighed. "Then get Flynn or Gabriel to help you out. I won't be that long, I promise." He kissed his two kids goodbye and headed back out to his car. Brenda looked at the two children, not sure what to say to them at all. In her mind she mentally went over who would be likely to help her and decided to go there as quick as she could.

X

Flynn was getting ready for the strip club later that night. He had already picked out his costume, and thankfully had a lot of it already from his suits. It would be a good night, just a way to escape from the pressures of work and from having to try so hard. This night out with the IA boys was a chance for them to just be themselves.

As he was tying the last of his costume together, his phone rang. "Flynn."

_"Flynn, it's me. My new lady friend has a friend, and we'd like to go on a double date, how about it?"_

Sitting opposite a woman he didn't know and trying to make small talk for an hour or two with Provenza making out with a woman twenty years younger than him did not appeal. A strip club and then onto a bar to watch sports was more his bag. "I already have plans tonight Provenza."

_"Really? Staying inside and watching HBO? I've seen this friend, Flynn, and she is _beautiful!"

The doorbell rang. Flynn had never been so popular. "Hold on, someone's at the door." He moved over to open it and found a fairy princess, Frankenstein and a witch on his doorstep. "I'll call you back."

The Chief started to giggle at his appearance, and the kids grinned. He was dressed as Dracula, with an ornate suit and cape, and fangs. He had blood at the corner of his mouth, and unfortunately he was also wearing a touch of eyeliner. The kids laughed as well, even harder when Flynn took a toothpick and stuck it between his fangs.

"Can I help you Chief?"

She nodded and rested a hand on each of the heads of the two children. "These are Will Pope's kids, and he needs us to take them trick or treating."

"Us?" Flynn smirked, but the look Brenda gave him suggesting if he didn't help her his life wasn't worth living made him grab his keys and head out of the house with them.

He was introduced to Caitlin and Brendan and walked with the Chief. She squeezed his hand in thanks as they headed down the street, looking for houses advertising candy. Anyone who would see them would think they were two parents, taking their kids out for Halloween. And with the looks and the laughs flying between the two adults, no one would think otherwise.

X

When Will got back from taking his children to Brenda and feeling like an absolute horrible father in the car, he walked in to see Sharon rambling on her phone. She gave him a thumbs up, and he just rested his arms against the banister, watching her. Even wearing a constricting black dress and a ton of green make up on her face, she was graceful, beautiful, incredible.

His first wife, Jean, worked as a DA in DC. Brenda he had known from the CIA and then when she worked and slept under him. Estelle had been a civilian at the DC police force. Maggie had worked for Homeland Security. They were all incredible, strong women. They had all, when he had first set his sights on them, been in relationships. They had all ended suddenly, some at his hand, others not.

Sharon was different. She liked baseball and drinking games and watching _30 Rock _on the television. She liked taking care of children that weren't hers, she loved her job however much she tried to deny it and she loved him. As she hung up the phone she cheered, punching the air. Just the sight of her made his heart beat faster, the sound of her voice made him smile.

"Kiss me I'm a genius!" He responded with a kiss, taking her breath away. They were meant to be together, Will was sure of that now. Looking into her face, he decided he wanted her to be his utterly and completely. There was the problem that they were rushing things, they had only just moved in together. But soon.

"What have you done, wicked witch of my heart?" He winced at the awkward line, but Sharon didn't seem to notice, just kissed him harder.

"Okay, well I called Simon and Claudia and they are coming. They are going to the nearest supermarket and buying tons of party food. By the way we are no longer having a dinner party; we are having a Halloween party with kids. I've also called Eddie and co and they're going to set up the music. I called Tony and he is calling everyone to bulk out the party. By the time it chimes November, everyone will know we're dating, and I get to see Michael shoved into a closet as par usual."

Will hugged her close, happy that they would save everything, although he was still unsure. "A party? This was supposed to be something simple, elegant, professional."

"Those words don't apply on Halloween, babe, especially when it comes to the LAPD. What's more, I've told everyone that it was Chief Delk's idea to have a party here, carrying on the proud and noble tradition."

She was indeed a genius, and Will nuzzled her neck. Delk would be held in high esteem, their relationship would be safe and a good time would be had by all. He kissed her once more. "Okay, let's go finalise the details and then rescue the kids. I mean the Brenda."

As Sharon went to her phone to call all their guests, Will looked at her and grinned. She was definitely, without doubt, the one.

X

Brenda had never wanted children of her own. Having spent some time in the company of Will's children hadn't made her change her mind, even though they were quite adorable. Flynn was surprisingly good with the kids, joining the two in a zombie march down the street. On occasion he would twirl her in the middle of the road, pretending to bite on her neck and causing the kids to chuckle.

"You like kids, Lieutenant?" she asked as the two rushed up to another house to get candy. Instead the woman at the door gave them toothbrushes. While other kids walked away unhappy, Brendan actually grinned and shook her hand.

"I do, but I couldn't eat a whole one." Brenda giggled at his response. "I like babysitting them, just not being with them full time." Brendan and Caitlin ran down the steps and showed them the toothbrushes. "Okay, next house guys?"

They walked down the street and the kids raced to the door again. They made growly faces as the woman at the door, and she looked a little frightened. Flynn raised his hand, and she waved back. Everything was okay; the kids weren't going to egg her. "Problem with trick or treaters is that not all of them are like the Pope kids - they're not respectful."

Brenda leant her head on Andy's shoulder, and he squeezed her tight. He looked over her dress, over the glitter in her hair. Being a fairy princess certainly suited her - he hoped they didn't get called out tonight, that dress was too amazing to ruin.

"Agent Howard not with you?"

She looked towards the kids, and then down at her feet. "At another course. I have a feeling he's going to get promoted somewhere. I just…as much as I hated it at first, I can't imagine leaving LA. I've got so many friends here, you and Will, and everyone. I'd miss you, if I was gone."

Flynn moved over and squeezed her hand. "I'd miss you, Brenda, if you left. Hey, the kids are coming back!"

Caitlin stuck with Brenda and gave her a piece of candy as they walked to another house. Flynn and Brendan started doing a zombie walk, and pretended to have a much staged fight. She had always known there was a different side to Andy Flynn, and it turned out there was more to him than his job. Maybe he had a girlfriend, maybe he had family in town - it hurt Brenda to realise that she didn't know a great deal about her so called friends.

"Daddy!"

Brenda and Flynn looked up to the end of the street to see Will Pope coming out of a car with a green Sharon Raydor by his elbow. Caitlin rushed from Brenda's side and flung herself into her father's arms, and Brendan permanently attached himself to Sharon. They walked over, and Will gave Brenda a hug. Andy shook Sharon's hand and then pulled her into a quick hug before pulling back just as quickly.

"Good Witch of the North, huh? We match," Sharon announced, and then made a face to Caitlin who made one right back.

"Thank you for taking care of them," Will grinned, examining their candy bounty. "We're having a Halloween party now, at the house." He looked to his own who were frowning at the change in plans. "With other kids, so you can try and extort candy from police officers in a pack. You're welcome to come, Flynn."

He nodded, sticking the hands into his cape. "Well I was going to go to a strip club with the IA boys, but I don't think these kids will let me go anywhere." In response, the kids shook their head, giggling and pulling him towards the car.

"Strip club?" Brenda asked, looking offended, but Sharon just giggled.

"They're going to be at the party, so we can put Michael in a cupboard again!"

"I am so there."

Will and Sharon and the kids moved to trick or treating in a group, with Brenda and Andy standing behind them. They watched them act around one another, the little smiles they had never seen before. They were part of a family unit, they completed each other. Brenda wasn't jealous of Sharon's attachment to the kids, the way she could naturally be a mother. She was jealous of the way Sharon was part of a family. She hadn't felt that way since she was the kids' age, trick or treating with her brothers.

X

After the kids had filled all their candy bags, they drove back to the Pope household. Thankfully people had started arriving and were getting the party together. Sharon went to see if they had any messages, while Caitlin led Brenda upstairs to look at all their toys. Flynn helped Will in setting out things in the garden.

Flynn brushed his hair back, chewing heavily on his toothpick. "Listen, Sharon doesn't have much family and while I'm sure the IA boys will tell you something similar… I consider her, however estranged, family. You hurt her, I hurt you."

Will moved over and shook Flynn's hand. "I won't hurt her. I love her."

Claudia and Simon arrived, dressed as a ghost and as a zombie victim respectively. Sharon helped them with the food and the punch, getting things cooked and out onto tables quickly. There was racket from outside, and a group of gangsters came through the door and barrelled Sharon in a huge hug. Her IA boys had arrived, and Flynn waved at them from the doorway. They were joined by Buzz, wearing fangs, who was setting up the technical stuff in the back garden.

Two kids came through the door and joined Caitlin and Brendan in rushing to see what sweets were laid out for them. Tony came through next, wearing a waistcoat, top hat and walking stick.

"Jack the Ripper?" Sharon suggested, and Tony grumbled and shook his head.

"Sherlock Holmes."

The kids giggled as Will came into the room. He was wearing a brown suit, black framed glasses and a long beige coat. Tony grinned and his kids started bouncing. "Doctor Who, nice choice!"

Will twirled and immediately wrapped an arm around Sharon. "Well the kids have discovered BBC America and they thought my new glasses were quite appropriate."

More guests started arriving. Taylor came dressed as a jazz singer Brenda had never heard of, and they danced a couple of songs. He was very welcoming of Sharon and Will, and shook both their hands. Tao and his wife and their kids were dressed as Dracula, the bride of Dracula and two little vampires. Flynn and Tao chuckled at their mutual choice of costume. As it was, Brenda preferred the detail of Flynn's.

"Where's your bride, Andrew? As Dracula, you have to have a bride!" Tao pointed to his giggling wife, watching as the kids bobbed for apples under Simon's care.

Flynn laughed and looked around before grabbing the Chief's hand and pulling her towards him. "Meet my bride."

Brenda laughed hard before hitting him on the arm. "Who says I'm your bride?"

"You don't want to be my bride? I'm hurt, I'm stung."

She shook her head, looking at him with fake disdain. "Gotta buy me a ring and propose first, Lieutenant. I am not an enslaved bride to just anyone."

The group burst out into laughter, and Flynn's mobile phone rang. Seeing Provenza's name, he cursed. Flipping up the phone, he waited, feeling the ulcer growing on his lip. "Flynn?"

_"You said you were going to call me back!"_

"You sound like a woman right now, what do you want?"

The Chief was doing a very elaborate waltz with Sanchez, who had come once more as Zorro. He came in the same thing every year. She looked so beautiful. He thought back to what he had been teased about the day before, about his feelings for the Chief. He had them, had them bad but would never acknowledge them. He wasn't the type to break up a marriage. He would settle for being her friend.

_"Two women, Flynn, dressed as a nurse and as a disciplinarian teacher." _Flynn questioned where _the hell _Provenza found his women. _"Come on, man!"_

As Brenda gestured to him that she wanted to dance, Flynn made his choice. "Sorry, Provenza, I'm going to the Halloween party Pope is throwing." He hung up and put his arm around the Chief's waist, dancing with her on the floor. He let go, enjoying how he felt around her. How she could make him feel.

Gabriel arrived, dressed as one of the blues brothers. Mitchell finally turned up with his wife, enjoying the change of party location and also joining in with Flynn and giving Will his speech of taking care of Sharon. Wendell Berrill, the former LAPD Chief, came down dressed as Dumbledore from _Harry Potter_ and the party started moving, especially when the band started to play. The IAB, the Internal Affairs Band formed from the Internal Affairs Group started off with some hits from _The Lost Boys_, causing some loud cheering from those old enough to remember it.

"You know, Will, you're craftier than expected." Will turned around to see Chief Delk, dressed as a vampire with his wife Celeste as a witch, who left to go make the rounds.

"I don't understand you, sir."

Delk looked at everyone having a good time, all the people of lesser rank who the combined force of Pope and Raydor knew. Will glanced over to see Taylor dancing with Sharon, and then being joined by the two kids who wanted her to go candy bobbing. Simon had done it as a kid; you set candy in jelly and then got the sweets out with teeth. She had a go, crying out as jelly went up her nose.

"This party was a Halloween tradition of the former Chief. I wanted to stop the tradition, show everyone that there is a new leader, a new way of doing things. Start my own traditions. But, not only have you shifted all attention onto the fact that my Assistant Chief is dating my head of FID, but now you're seen as carrying on tradition, a force for the old ways against the new. Be warned, Pope, I won't accept people working against me."

Delk moved off, seeing Chief Johnson and waving at her. Will exhaled, and Sharon immediately joined his side, grabbing his hand tight within her own. "It's okay, babe."

"I'm going to lose my job, I know it," Will sighed, and Sharon held him. She knew Delk could see them, that everyone could see them, but she didn't care. Neither did Will, as he brushed his lips across hers, causing her to sigh softly.

"I've got your back, whatever happens. You've got me."

"Then I have everything I need."

The IAB started playing a slow song, just for the two lovers on the floor. Brendan and Caitlin and the other children bobbed for apples. The members of Internal Affairs who weren't singing challenged Major Crimes to a drinking contest. Michael and the head of traffic were locked in the cupboard under the stairs by Claudia and Flynn, who then went out onto the dance floor. Delk watched as Pope and Raydor were completely oblivious to everyone else on the floor, just staring into each other's eyes.

"Employee relationships never work," Delk muttered, standing next to Brenda. She was watching them with a smile, which faded on the new Chief's words. Flynn, now dancing with Claudia; who was determined to pull him off of his feet. He was laughing all the way; he had such a sparkle in his eyes. Everyone was happy, and she enjoyed that feeling of combined happiness.

She turned to Delk. "Well maybe they'll prove us all wrong."

She moved away from him and went straight to Claudia to relieve her of Flynn. They danced as the band played a faster song, and the rest of the officers started to dance like zombies. Buzz took some pictures of them all; he liked the ones of Major Crimes pulling funny faces, or of Flynn pretending to bite the Chief. But his favourite photo was of one moment with Chief Pope and the Captain. They only had eyes for each other, and the love between them transcended film.

X

The kids had been put to bed with a scary story. The party had wrapped up on the stroke of midnight - everyone had work the next day, and the children had school. Delk had left sometime around ten; Brenda was tired so Flynn escorted her home. Everyone else left, saying as they went how much of an _amazing _time they had. There were several choruses of "can't wait till next year" and Will paled. Work tomorrow was not going to be fun.

Sharon was now in the bath, scrubbing at her skin. The green make up clung to the hairs on her arm and stuck to her. She had managed to use make up wipes to get rid of most of the gunk off of her face, but in her desire to seduce Will, she was now covered in the stuff. There was a knock on the door and Will entered, dressed in a white shirt and boxers. He stroked her hair and kissed a patch of skin that wasn't green.

"So, we did it. Little unorthodox and we went from being respected to hated by Delk, but we're together." He stroked her cheek, and she started to blush under his attentive gaze. "I love you, more than anyone I've ever met. I kept thinking how I would never have done this with any other woman, any other wife. I would have always begged off, never dressed up unless it was in a tuxedo. You make me want to do all those things and more."

She kissed him softly on the lips, smiling at him. "I love you. And I am so thankful that you are part of my life, and that you've welcomed me into yours."

They kissed again, and Will picked up a sponge, wiping some of the green muck off of his beloved. She grinned. "I think you need to do better than that Pope."

"You're right, I do."

Will jumped into the tub, spilling water over the sides. Sharon screamed, putting a hand over her mouth not to wake the kids. Will put the shower on, soaking them instantly. He put his hands either side of his girlfriend and kissed her. Holding his face, Sharon smiled. She couldn't remember a time when she had been happier. Together they pulled off Will's shirt and set down to cleaning her up.

X

Flynn was quite aware that he was an exceptionally lucky man. Brenda had been getting tired, the kids had worn her out and after two glasses of merlot she had asked for a ride home. When they had got there she had put the television on, and found a creature feature and the popcorn that was in her cupboard. Flynn thought that her being tired was more of an excuse to be by herself than she was letting on, and as she made herself comfortable on the sofa, she had patted the space next to her. He had smiled, and joined her.

He was now sitting with the television playing some awful vampire film; with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen resting her head on his lap, clutching the bowl of popcorn in her slack hands. Flynn looked at her, looked at how calm she was in her sleep. He leant down and pressed his lips to her forehead gently.

"Okay, let's see what other crap is on."

Flynn changed the channel to some action movie that he couldn't stand to watch, and in the end just decided to get some sleep. He looked at her once again, and decided that moving was out of the question. Smiling, he kissed her and whispered. "Good night, Brenda Leigh."

She curled up on his lap, looking peaceful as she lay there. He smiled and put his head back against her sofa, trying to get some sleep.

X

The first of November arrived, and as people came into work they were talking about the awesome party held by Pope, much to Delk's disgust. He had seemingly redeemed himself for his actions over the summer, and was now considered in higher regard, as was his girlfriend, Captain Raydor. He watched from his office window as the two arrived together, getting out of his car and walking into work so close they were practically holding hands.

"Good morning Chief, Captain," Brenda greeted as she made her way across the courtyard. Flynn joined her side and the two started talking animatedly, finishing each other's sentences.

Will put an arm around Sharon as they got to the entrance to the new LAPD headquarters. "Love you, see you later for lunch."

They kissed and Will headed inside, ready to get the day started. Sharon waited for her FID team and they walked in together. Flynn and Brenda made their way to the offices of Major Crimes, where Provenza was waiting, getting filled in about the party from Tao. As he saw the looks the Chief was giving Flynn, and the way Pope seemed to grin so hard it was scary, Provenza realised he should have attended the party after all.


End file.
